Psychology

Psychology is the academic and scientific study of the mind, its processes, and behaviors. It encompasses a broad range of topics including thought, feeling, and action in both humans and, at times, nonhuman animals. As a discipline, psychology straddles the boundary between biology and social sciences, drawing methods and insights from both areas as well as from fields such as medicine, ethology, computer science, and linguistics.

Psychology

A professional in this field, known as a psychologist, may specialize as a social, behavioural, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists aim to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior while exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that underpin cognitive functions and behaviors.

Branches

Psychology is divided into various branches, each focused on different aspects of human thought, behavior, and development:

• Abnormal psychology examines the distinctions between psychological health and illness.
• Clinical psychology is dedicated to understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or dysfunction.
• Cognitive psychology explores mental processes such as perception, memory, thought, and problem-solving.
• Cross-cultural psychology investigates how cultural contexts influence human behavior and mental processes.
• Developmental psychology studies the growth and changes that occur throughout a person’s life.
• Educational psychology or school psychology assesses and intervenes in children's learning and socialization.
• Evolutionary psychology considers how evolutionary principles inform human thought and behavior.
• Neuropsychology examines the structure and function of the brain as they relate to specific psychological processes and behaviors.
• The study of Motivation looks at the driving forces behind human actions.
• Perceptual psychology delves into how people perceive their environment and make sense of sensory information.
• Social psychology explores how individuals influence and are influenced by others within a societal context.

Methods

Scientific approaches

Psychology employs scientific methods to formulate and test hypotheses related to mental processes and behavior. This includes controlled laboratory experiments, surveys, longitudinal studies, and case studies, among others. Due to ethical considerations, certain types of experiments may be restricted, leading researchers to employ observational studies or animal models to gain insights.

A hallmark of scientific psychology is the principle of falsifiability—proposing hypotheses that can be empirically tested and potentially disproven. This approach underpins the robust, empirical investigation of psychological phenomena.

Symbolic and subjective approaches

In addition to scientific methods, psychology also encompasses symbolic and subjective approaches such as psychodynamic psychology and depth psychology. These perspectives often focus on uncovering the unconscious motivations behind behaviors and utilize techniques like dream analysis. Humanistic psychology and existential psychology prioritize the understanding of individual experiences and personal meaning over the identification of general laws of behavior.

Psychologists

To practice as a psychologist requires extensive education, typically beginning with a bachelor's degree followed by postgraduate studies. A Master's degree (MSc or MA) may qualify an individual to work in areas such as school psychology, while a doctoral degree (PhD, DPhil, or PsyD) is necessary for clinical practice and academic research. Licensure is a further requirement for clinical practice in many jurisdictions.

While psychologists and psychiatrists both focus on mental health, psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD) who can prescribe medication, often working alongside psychologists in treatment planning.

Glossary of terms

• Achievement noun the action of accomplishing something
• Acquired adj. gotten through environmental forces
• Acting Out noun (psychiatry) the display of previously inhibited emotions (often in actions rather than words); considered to be healthy and therapeutic a (usually irritating) impulsive and uncontrollable outburst by a problem child or a neurotic adult
• Adaptation noun (physiology) the responsive adjustment of a sense organ (as the eye) to varying conditions (as of light) a written work (as a novel) that has been recast in a new form the process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions)
• Affect noun the conscious subjective aspect of feeling or emotion verb act physically on; have an effect upon have an effect upon have an emotional or cognitive impact upon make believe with the intent to deceive connect closely and often incriminatingly
• Ageism noun discrimination against middle aged and elderly people
• Aggression noun violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked deliberately unfriendly behavior the act of initiating hostilities a disposition to behave aggressively a feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack
• Agnosia noun inability to recognize objects by use of the senses
• Agoraphobia noun a morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place)
• Altruism noun the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
• Amnesia noun partial or total loss of memory
• Anger noun a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance the state of being angry belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins) verb make angry become angry
• Anhedonia noun an inability to experience pleasure
• Animal Communication noun communication between animals (of the same species)
• Animal adj. of the nature of or characteristic of or derived from an animal or animals marked by the appetites and passions of the body noun a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
• Anomie noun lack of moral standards in a society personal state of isolation and anxiety resulting from a lack of social control and regulation
• Anorexia Nervosa noun (psychiatry) a psychological disorder characterized by somatic delusions that you are too fat despite being emaciated
• Anticipation noun something expected (as on the basis of a norm) pleasurable expectation wishing with confidence of fulfillment the act of predicting (as by reasoning about the future)
• Anxiety noun a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill defined) misfortune a relatively permanent state of anxiety occurring in a variety of mental disorders
• Apathy noun the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
• Appetite noun a feeling of craving something
• Applied adj. concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles; opposed to theoretical put into practice or put to use that are used
• Arousal noun the act of arousing awakening from sleep a state of heightened physiological activity mutual sexual fondling prior to sexual intercourse
• Assertiveness noun aggressive self assurance; given to making bold assertions
• Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
• Attitude noun a theatrical pose created for effect a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways position of aircraft or spacecraft relative to a frame of reference (the horizon or direction of motion) the arrangement of the body and its limbs
• Authoritarianism noun a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
• Behavior Therapy noun psychotherapy that seeks to extinguish or inhibit abnormal or maladaptive behavior by reinforcing desired behavior and extinguishing undesired behavior
• Behavior noun manner of acting or controlling yourself (psychology) the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people
• Behaviorism noun an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
• Bereavement noun state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
• Biofeedback noun a training program in which a person is given information about physiological processes (heart rate or blood pressure) that is not normally available with the goal of gaining conscious control of them
• Bipolar Disorder noun a mental disorder characterized by episodes of mania and depression
• Blushing adj. having a red face from embarrassment or shame or agitation or emotional upset
• Boredom noun the feeling of being bored by something tedious
• Breast Feeding noun nourishing at the breast
• Brief adj. concise and succinct of short duration or distance (of clothing) very short noun a condensed written summary or abstract a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case verb give essential information to someone
• Cannibalism noun the practice of eating the flesh of your own kind
• Castration noun surgical removal of the testes or ovaries (usually to inhibit hormone secretion in cases of breast cancer in women or prostate cancer in men) neutering a male animal by removing the testicles the deletion of objectionable parts from a literary work
• Cataleptic adj. of or having characteristics of or affected with catalepsy noun a person suffering from catalepsy
• Catatonia noun extreme tonus; muscular rigidity; a common symptom in catatonic schizophrenia a form of schizophrenia characterized by a tendency to remain in a fixed stuporous state for long periods; the catatonia may give way to short periods of extreme excitement
• Cathexis noun (psychoanalysis) the libidinal energy invested in some idea or person or object
• Cerebral adj. involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct of or relating to the cerebrum or brain
• Chemotaxis noun movement by a cell or organism in reaction to a chemical stimulus
• Childhood noun the state of a child between infancy and adolescence the time of person's life when they are a child
• Cognition noun the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
• Coitus noun the act of sexual procreation between a man and a woman; the man's penis is inserted into the woman's vagina and excited until orgasm and ejaculation occur
• Communication noun something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information a connection allowing access between persons or places
• Conscience noun conformity to one's own sense of right conduct a feeling of shame when you do something immoral motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
• Consciousness noun an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation having knowledge of
• Consensus noun agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole
• Conversion Disorder noun a mental disorder characterized by the conversion of mental conflict into somatic forms (into paralysis or anesthesia having no apparent cause)
• Coprophagia noun eating feces; in human a symptom of some kinds of insanity
• Counseling noun something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action
• Courage noun a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
• Courtship noun a man's courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage)
• Craving noun an intense desire for some particular thing
• Crisis Intervention noun psychotherapy that focuses on acute critical situations (depressive episodes or attempted suicides or drug overdoses) with the aim of restoring the person to the level of functioning before the crisis
• Crowding noun a situation in which people or things are crowded together
• Crying adj. conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible noisy with or as if with loud cries and shouts demanding attention noun the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
• Cyclothymic Disorder noun a mild bipolar disorder that persists over a long time
• Deception noun the act of deceiving an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers a misleading falsehood
• Dehumanization noun the act of degrading people with respect to their best qualities
• Delirium noun a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion often accompanied by hallucinations state of violent mental agitation
• Dementia noun mental deterioration of organic or functional origin
• Dependency noun a geographical area politically controlled by a distant country lack of independence or self sufficiency being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)
• Depressive Disorder noun a state of depression and anhedonia so severe as to require clinical intervention
• Diplomacy noun negotiation between nations subtly skillful handling of a situation wisdom in the management of public affairs
• Disclosure noun the speech act of making something evident
• Disgust noun strong feelings of dislike verb cause aversion in; offend the moral sense of fill with distaste
• Disruptive adj. characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
• Down Syndrome noun a congenital disorder caused by having an extra 21st chromosome; results in a flat face and short stature and mental retardation
• Dyslexia noun impaired ability to learn to read
• Educational adj. providing knowledge relating to the process of education
• Ego noun (psychoanalysis) the conscious mind an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others your consciousness of your own identity
• Egocentrism noun concern for your own interests and welfare
• Electroshock noun the administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to induce convulsions and coma
• Empathy noun understanding and entering into another's feelings
• Encopresis noun involuntary defecation not attributable to physical defects or illness
• Enuresis noun inability to control the flow of urine and involuntary urination
• Erectile Dysfunction noun impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis
• Ergonomics noun the branch of engineering science in which biological science is used to study the relation between workers and their environments
• Ethics noun the philosophical study of moral values and rules motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
• Ethology noun the branch of zoology that studies the behavior of animals in their natural habitats
• Euphoria noun a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation
• Exhibitionism noun the perverse act of exposing and attracting attention to your own genitals extravagant and conspicuous behavior intended to attract attention to yourself
• Existentialism noun (philosophy) a 20th century philosophical movement chiefly in Europe; assumes that people are entirely free and thus responsible for what they make of themselves
• Extraversion noun (psychology) an extroverted disposition; concern with what is outside the self
• Fantasy noun imagination unrestricted by reality fiction with a large amount of imagination in it something many people believe that is false verb indulge in fantasies
• Feedback noun response to an inquiry or experiment the process in which part of the output of a system is returned to its input in order to regulate its further output
• Femininity noun the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for women
• Fetishism noun sexual arousal or gratification resulting from handling a fetish (or a specific part of the body other than the sexual organs) a belief in the magical power of fetishes (or the worship of a fetish)
• Forgiveness noun the act of excusing a mistake or offense compassionate feelings that support a willingness to forgive
• Frustration noun an act of hindering someone's plans or efforts a feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals
• Galvanic Skin Response noun a change in the electrical properties of the skin in response to stress or anxiety; can be measured either by recording the electrical resistance of the skin or by recording weak currents generated by the body
• Gambling noun the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
• Gender Identity noun your identity as it is experienced with regard to your individuality as male or female; awareness normally begin in infancy and is reinforced during adolescence
• Genetics noun the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
• Grief noun something that causes great unhappiness intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
• Guilt noun remorse caused by feeling responsible for some offence the state of having committed an offense
• Habituation noun a general accommodation to unchanging environmental conditions being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)
• Handling noun the action of touching with the hands (or the skillful use of the hands) or by the use of mechanical means manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something the management of someone or something
• Happiness noun emotions experienced when in a state of well being state of well being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
• Harassment noun the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented
• Hate noun the emotion of hate; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action verb dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards
• Hearing Loss noun partial or complete loss of hearing
• Helplessness noun powerlessness revealed by an inability to act a feeling of being unable to manage the state of needing help from something
• Homophobia noun prejudice against (fear or dislike of) homosexual people and homosexuality
• Hostility noun a hostile (very unfriendly) disposition the feeling of a hostile person a state of deep seated ill will violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked
• Hunger noun strong desire for something (not food or drink) a physiological need for food; the consequence of food deprivation verb feel the need to eat be hungry; go without food have a craving, appetite, or great desire for
• Hypnosis noun a state that resembles sleep but that is induced by suggestion
• Hypochondriasis noun chronic and abnormal anxiety about imaginary symptoms and ailments
• Id noun (psychoanalysis) primitive instincts and energies underlying all psychic activity a card or badge used to identify the bearer a state in the Rocky Mountains
• Identity Crisis noun distress and disorientation (especially in adolescence) resulting from conflicting pressures and uncertainty about and one's self and one's role in society
• Illegitimacy noun unlawfulness by virtue of not being authorized by or in accordance with law the status of being born to parents who were not married
• Imagery noun the ability to form mental images of things or events
• Individuality noun the quality of being individual the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
• Individuation noun the quality of being individual discriminating the individual from the generic group or species
• Industrial adj. suitable to stand up to hard wear having highly developed industries employed in industry of or relating to or resulting from industry employed in industry
• Inhibition noun (psychology) the conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts or desires the quality of being inhibited (physiology) the process whereby nerves can retard or prevent the functioning of an organ or part the action of prohibiting or inhibiting or forbidding (or an instance thereof)
• Instinct adj. (followed by `with')deeply filled or permeated noun inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
• Intelligence noun the operation of gathering information about an enemy the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience secret information about an enemy (or potential enemy) a unit responsible for gathering and interpreting information about an enemy new information about specific and timely events
• Intention noun an act of intending; a volition that you intend to carry out (usually plural) the goal with respect to a marriage proposal an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
• Intravenous adj. within or by means of a vein
• Introversion noun (psychology) an introverted disposition; concern with one's own thoughts and feelings the folding in of an outer layer so as to form a pocket in the surface the condition of being folded inward or sheathed
• Jealousy noun zealous vigilance a feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival)
• Kinesis noun a movement that is a response to a stimulus but is not oriented with respect to the source of stimulation
• Leadership noun the activity of leading the ability to lead the body of people who lead a group the status of a leader
• Learned adj. acquired by learning highly educated; having extensive information or understanding established by conditioning or learning having or showing profound knowledge
• Learning noun the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge profound scholarly knowledge
• Lethargy noun a state of comatose torpor (as found in sleeping sickness) inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy
• Leukocyte noun blood cells that engulf and digest bacteria and fungi; an important part of the body's defense system
• Life Style noun a manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes
• Loneliness noun the state of being alone in solitary isolation a disposition toward being alone sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned
• Machiavellianism noun the political doctrine of Machiavelli: any means (however unscrupulous) can be used by a ruler in order to create and maintain his autocratic government
• Malingering noun evading duty or work by pretending to be incapacitated
• Masculinity noun the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for men the properties characteristic of the male sex
• Masochism noun sexual pleasure obtained from receiving punishment (physical or psychological)
• Masturbation noun manual stimulation of the genital organs (of yourself or another) for sexual pleasure
• Mental Health noun the psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment
• Mental Retardation noun lack of normal development of intellectual capacities
• Metaphysical adj. highly abstract and overly theoretical without material form or substance pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics
• Military adj. associated with or performed by armed services as contrasted with civilians characteristic of or associated with soldiers or the military of or relating to the study of the principles of warfare noun the military forces of a nation
• Mindfulness noun the trait of staying aware of (paying close attention to) your responsibilities
• Morale noun a state of individual psychological well being based upon a sense of confidence and usefulness and purpose the spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed
• Morals noun motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
• Motivation noun the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior the act of motivating; providing incentive the condition of being motivated
• Multiple adj. having or involving or consisting of more than one part or entity or individual noun the product of a quantity by an integer
• Mutism noun the condition of being unable or unwilling to speak
• Nail Biting adj. (of a situation) characterized by or causing suspense
• Narration noun (rhetoric) the second section of an oration in which the facts are set forth the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
• Negativism noun characterized by habitual skepticism and a disagreeable tendency to deny or oppose or resist suggestions or commands
• Neurasthenia noun nervous breakdown (not in technical use)
• Neuropsychology noun the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes
• Neuroticism noun a mental or personality disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction
• Nuclear Family noun a family consisting of parents and their children and grandparents of a marital partner
• Optimism noun a general disposition to expect the best in all things the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well
• Panic Disorder noun an anxiety disorder characterized by unpredictable panic attacks; the attacks are usually severe but brief
• Panic noun an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events verb cause sudden fear in or fill with sudden panic be overcome by a sudden fear
• Parapsychology noun phenomena that appear to contradict physical laws and suggest the possibility of causation by mental processes
• Paternalism noun the attitude (of a person or a government) that subordinates should be controlled in a fatherly way for their own good
• Pedophilia noun a sexual attraction to children
• Peer Group noun contemporaries of the same status
• Peer Review verb evaluate professionally a colleague's work
• Perception noun the process of perceiving knowledge gained by perceiving a way of conceiving something becoming aware of something via the senses the representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept
• Perfectionism noun a disposition to feel that anything less than perfect is unacceptable
• Permissiveness noun a disposition to allow freedom of choice and behavior
• Personality Assessment noun a questionnaire that is supposed to yield a description of a person's personality traits
• Personality noun the complex of all the attributes behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental that characterize a unique individual a person of considerable prominence
• Pervasive adj. spreading or spread throughout
• Pessimism noun a general disposition to look on the dark side and to expect the worst in all things the feeling that things will turn out badly
• Phantom Limb noun the illusion that a limb still exists after it has been amputated
• Pica noun magpies eating earth or clay or chalk; occurs in some primitive tribes or sometimes in cases of nutritional deficiency a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing
• Play Therapy noun form of psychotherapy for children that uses play situations for diagnosis or treatment
• Pleasure noun sexual gratification an activity that affords enjoyment a formal expression a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience something or someone that provides pleasure; a source of happiness
• Polydipsia noun excessive thirst (as in cases of diabetes or kidney dysfunction)
• Practice noun a customary way of operation or behavior translating an idea into action the exercise of a profession knowledge of how something is usually done systematic training by multiple repetitions verb avail oneself to carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions learn by repetition engage in a rehearsal (of)
• Prejudice noun a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation verb influence (somebody's) opinion in advance disadvantage by prejudice
• Premature Ejaculation noun ejaculation during the early stages of sexual excitement or soon after the insertion of the penis into the vagina
• Procrastination noun the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time slowness as a consequence of not getting around to it
• Pronation noun rotation of the hands and forearms so that the palms face downward
• Propaganda noun information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause
• Psychiatric adj. relating to or used in or engaged in the practice of psychiatry
• Psychiatry noun the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders
• Psychogenic adj. mental or emotional rather than physiological in origin of or relating to the psychological cause of a disorder
• Psycholinguistics noun the branch of cognitive psychology that studies the psychological basis of linguistic competence and performance
• Psychological adj. mental or emotional as opposed to physical in nature of or relating to or determined by psychology
• Psychometrics noun any branch of psychology concerned with psychological measurements
• Psychopathology noun the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders the branch of psychology concerned with abnormal behavior
• Psychopharmacology noun the study of drugs that affect the mind
• Psychophysics noun the branch of psychology concerned with quantitative relations between physical stimuli and their psychological effects
• Psychophysiology noun the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes
• Psychosexual Development noun (psychoanalysis) the process during which personality and sexual behavior mature through a series of stages: first oral stage and then anal stage and then phallic stage and then latency stage and finally genital stage
• Psychosurgery noun brain surgery on human patients intended to relieve severe and otherwise intractable mental or behavioral problems
• Psychotherapy noun the treatment of mental or emotional problems by psychological means the branch of psychiatry concerned with psychological methods
• Psychotic adj. characteristic of or suffering from psychosis noun a person afflicted with psychosis
• Racism noun discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
• Rage noun violent state of the elements a state of extreme anger something that is desired intensely an interest followed with exaggerated zeal a feeling of intense anger verb feel intense anger be violent; as of fires and storms behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
• Reaction Time noun the time that elapses between a stimulus and the response to it
• Reflex adj. without volition or conscious control noun an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
• Rejection noun the act of rejecting something the speech act of rejecting (medicine) an immunological response that refuses to accept substances or organisms that are recognized as foreign the state of being rejected
• Repression noun the act of repressing; control by holding down (psychiatry) the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious a state of forcible subjugation
• Resilience noun the physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elastic limit an occurrence of rebounding or springing back
• Restraint noun the of act controlling by restraining someone or something a device that retards something's motion discipline in personal and social activities a rule or condition that limits freedom lack of ornamentation the state of being physically constrained
• Road Rage noun violence exhibited by drivers in traffic
• Role noun normal or customary activity of a person in a particular social setting the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group what something is used for an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
• Sadism noun sexual pleasure obtained by inflicting harm (physical or psychological) on others
• Sadness noun emotions experienced when not in a state of well being the state of being sad the quality of excessive mournfulness and uncheerfulness
• Safe Sex noun sexual activity (especially sexual intercourse) with the use of measures (such as latex condoms) to avoid the transmission of disease (especially AIDS)
• Satiation noun the act of achieving full gratification the state of being satisfactorily full and unable to take on more
• Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Schizophrenia noun any of several psychotic disorders characterized by distortions of reality and disturbances of thought and language and withdrawal from social contact
• Self Control noun the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior the act of denying yourself; controlling your impulses
• Self Examination noun the contemplation of your own thoughts and desires and conduct
• Self Stimulation noun manual stimulation of your own genital organ for sexual pleasure
• Sensation noun an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation a general feeling of excitement and heightened interest a state of widespread public excitement and interest the faculty through which the external world is apprehended someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
• Sensory adj. involving or derived from the senses of a nerve fiber or impulse originating outside and passing toward the central nervous system relating to or concerned in sensation
• Sexism noun discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of the opposite sex
• Sexual Harassment noun unwelcome sexual behavior by a supervisor toward an employee
• Sexuality noun the properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles
• Shame noun a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt a state of dishonor an unfortunate development verb surpass or beat by a wide margin cause to be ashamed compel through a sense of shame bring shame or dishonor upon
• Shyness noun a feeling of fear of embarrassment
• Signal Detection noun the detection that a signal is being received
• Sleep Deprivation noun a form of psychological torture inflicted by depriving the victim of sleep
• Sleep noun a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended a torpid state resembling deep sleep a period of time spent sleeping euphemisms for death (based on an analogy between lying in a bed and in a tomb) verb be asleep be able to accommodate for sleeping
• Smoking adj. emitting smoke in great volume noun the act of smoking tobacco or other substances a hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon being produced by combustion
• Social Work noun any of various services designed to aid the poor and aged and to increase the welfare of children
• Sociobiology noun the branch of biology that conducts comparative studies of the social organization of animals (including human beings) with regard to its evolutionary history
• Spatial adj. pertaining to or involving or having the nature of space
• Spirituality noun concern with things of the spirit property or income owned by a church
• Stalking noun the act of following prey stealthily a hunt for game carried on by following it stealthily or waiting in ambush
• Sublimation noun (psychology) modifying the natural expression of an impulse or instinct (especially a sexual one) to one that is socially acceptable (chemistry) a change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid
• Superego noun (psychoanalysis) that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience
• Supination noun rotation of the hands and forearms so that the palms face upward
• Telepathy noun apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions
• Temperament noun an adjustment of the intervals (as in tuning a keyboard instrument) so that the scale can be used to play in different keys excessive emotionalism or irritability and excitability (especially when displayed openly) your usual mood
• Temperance noun the act of tempering the trait of avoiding excesses abstaining from excess
• Territoriality noun the behavior of a male animal that defines and defends its territory
• Thinking adj. endowed with the capacity to reason noun the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
• Thirst noun a physiological need to drink strong desire for something (not food or drink) verb feel the need to drink have a craving, appetite, or great desire for
• Transvestism noun the practice of adopting the clothes or the manner or the sexual role of the opposite sex
• Traumatic adj. psychologically painful; "few experiences are more traumatic than losing a child" of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body
• Trichotillomania noun an irresistible urge to pull out your own hair
• Unconscious adj. (followed by `of') not knowing or perceiving not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead without conscious volition noun that part of the mind wherein psychic activity takes place of which the person is unaware
• Unconsciousness noun a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment
• Vaginismus noun muscular contraction that causes the vagina to close; usually an anxiety reaction before coitus or pelvic examination
• Volition noun the act of making a choice the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
• Voyeurism noun a perversion in which a person receives sexual gratification from seeing the genitalia of others or witnessing others' sexual behavior
• Williams Syndrome noun a rare congenital disorder associated with deletion of genetic material in chromosome 7; characterized by mental deficiency and some growth deficiency and elfin faces but an overly social personality and a remarkable gift for vocabulary
• X Linked adj. relating to genes or characteristics or conditions carried on the X chromosome
• Xenophobia noun an irrational fear of foreigners or strangers

See also

• Psychiatry
• Neurology
• Parapsychology
• Neuroscience
• Dictionary of psychology
• Dictionary of psychiatry

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